Ultrafine Mo-Doped Co_2P Nanorods Anchored on Reduced Graphene Oxide as Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

One-dimensional(1 D) transition metal phosphides(TMPs) with large specific surface areas,high charge transfer efficiency and excellent electrical conductivity have attracted significant attention in hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) as versatile and active catalysts.Herein,the sub-4 nm Mo-Co_2 P ultrafine nanorods(NRs) anchored on reduced graphene oxide(rGO) were successfully synthesized by a colloidal mesostructured strategy.Electrochemical test results reveal that the Mo-Co_2 P@rGO electrode exhibits superior activity with overpotentials of204 mV and Tafel slope of 88 mV/dec for HER at 10 mA/cm~2,relative to the Co_2 P@rGO electrode in 0.5 M H_2 SO_4 solution.This improvement could be ascribed to the Mo doping,which results in more active sites,higher electrical conductivity and faster electron-transfer rates.This versatile strategy will provide a promising pathway for transition metal-doped compounds as an efficient catalyst.     

Highly Efficient Bifunctional Catalyst of NiCo2O4@NiO@Ni Core/Shell Nanocone Array for Stable Overall Water Splitting

Electrochemical splitting of water is an efficient way to produce clean energy for energy storage and conversion devices. Herein, 3D hierarchical NiCo₂O₄@NiO@Ni core/shell nanocone arrays (NAs) are reported on Ni foam for stable overall water splitting with high efficiency. The architecture and composition of the 3D catalysts are particularly tuned. The outstanding structural and component features of the as‐prepared 3D catalysts are characterized by the vertically grown NiCo₂O₄ nanocone/NiO nanosheet core/shell structure and Ni decorated 3D‐conductive networks, which largely prompt the catalytic performance. The hybrid catalyst with core/shell nanocone array structures exhibits superior bifuncational activities for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an overpotential of 240 and 120 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2, respectively. The Tafel slope of the optimal 3D electrode is about 43 and 58 mV dec^?1 in an alkaline electrolyte for OER and HER, respectively. An alkaline electrolyzer constructed by two symmetric NiCo₂O₄@NiO@Ni electrodes delivers splendid activity toward overall water splitting with a current of 10 mA cm^?2 at only ≈1.60 V and almost no deactivation after 10 h. This work provides a promising strategy to design ternary core/shell electrodes as high performance Janus catalysts for overall water splitting.     

A DFT study of Ti3C2O2 MXenes quantum dots supported on single layer graphene: Electronic structure and hydrogen evolution performance

Heterojunction structure has been extensively employed for the design of novel catalysts. In the present study, density functional theory was utilized to investigate the electronic structure and hydrogen evolution performance of Ti₃C₂O₂ MXene quantum dots/graphene (QDs/G) heterostructure. Results show that a slight distortion can be observed in graphene after hybriding with QDs, due to which the electronic structure of QDs have been changed. Associated with such QDs-graphene interaction, the catalytic activity of Ti₃C₂O₂ QDs has been optimized, leading to excellent HER catalytic performance.     

Theoretical study of stabilities,electronic, and catalytic performance of supported platinum on modified graphene

The geometry, electronic structure, and catalytic properties for CO oxidation of Pt atom supported on pri-graphene (PG), Haeckelite (H), and Stone–Wales-defect-graphene are investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In contrast to a Pt atom on PG, defective graphene, especially the Haeckelite, strongly stabilises the Pt atom and makes it more positive and thus the CO poisoning. At the same time the catalytic activities are as high as the pristine one. Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanisms are favoured as the starting state and are followed by the Eley–Rideal reaction. The results indicate the benefit of Haeckelite as a substrate for the Pt atom and validate the reactivity of catalysts on the atomic scale with low cost and high activity.     

缺陷对Pt在Graphene上吸附影响的研究

本文利用第一原理方法计算了空位缺陷和硼（B）掺杂时对Pt在graphene上吸附的影响.结果表明：Pt在graphene上吸附的稳定位置是Pt吸附在桥位；悬挂键的存在极大的增强了Pt在graphene空位处的吸附；B替位掺杂有利于Pt原子在杂质附近的吸附.     

First–principles study of potassium adsorption and diffusion on graphene

Potassium–ion batteries (KIBs) are a new–type of energy storage devices that have attracted increasing attention due to their low cost and the abundant resource of K in the Earth’s crust. Monolayer and multilayer graphene are promising electrode materials for KIBs. Herein, the adsorption and diffusion of potassium atoms on the surface of graphene were studied using the first–principles calculations including the van der Waals interaction. It was determined that K atoms can stably adsorb on the surface of graphene. The climbing image nudged elastic band method was employed to calculate the diffusion barriers of a single K atom and two K atoms on the surface of graphene. The results demonstrated that the diffusion barrier of a single K atom on graphene was low. The interaction between K atoms was considered and it facilitates the K atom diffusion to the second and third nearest–neighbour site of the K adatom, but prevents the K atom diffusion to the far nearest–neighbour site of the K adatom. Moreover, the difference in charge density demonstrates that there was a significant charge transfer from two K adatoms to its nearest–neighbour carbon atoms.     

缺陷对Pt在Graphene上吸附影响的研究

本文利用第一原理方法计算了空位缺陷和硼（B）掺杂时对Pt在graphene上吸附的影响.结果表明：Pt在graphene上吸附的稳定位置是Pt吸附在桥位;悬挂键的存在极大的增强了Pt在graphene空位处的吸附;B替位掺杂有利于Pt原子在杂质附近的吸附.     

石墨烯在Al_2O_3(0001)表面生长的模拟研究

基于密度泛函理论的广义梯度近似法,对用化学气相沉积法在蓝宝石(α-Al_2O_3)(0001)表面上生长石墨烯进行理论研究.研究结果表明:CH_4在α-Al_2O_3(0001)表面上的分解是吸热过程,由CH_4完全分解出C需要较高能量及反应能垒,这些因素不利于C在衬底表面的存在.在α-Al_2O_3(0001)表面,石墨烯形核的活跃因子并不是通常认为的C原子,而是CH基团.通过CH基团在α-Al_2O_3(0001)表面上的迁移聚集首先形成能量较低的(CH)_x结构.模拟研究(CH)_x对揭示后续石墨烯的形核生长机理具有重要意义.     

室温合成非晶三硫化钼析氢催化剂的性能调制以及其在串联制氢器件中的应用

高催化活性、低成本、良好工艺兼容性以及高稳定性的析氢催化剂是实现一体化光电化学水解制氢器件的关键, 然而传统的贵金属催化剂由于储量稀缺、成本高昂而严重限制了光电化学水解制氢器件的产业化进程. 本文在室温下通过湿法化学合成法制备了高催化活性、成本低廉以及工艺兼容性好的非金属非晶三硫化钼析氢催化剂, 并研究了不同催化剂滴涂量对其催化活性以及串联制氢器件制氢性能的影响. 结果表明, 存在最优化非晶三硫化钼催化剂滴涂量以获得最佳催化活性(10 mA/cm²电流密度对应电势达260 mV vs. RHE(可逆氢电极), 塔菲尔斜率达68 mV/dec), 其粗糙表面以及多孔结构可获得更大的电化学接触面积以促进析氢反应. 进一步将其作为光阴极应用于串联制氢器件, 可有效降低过电势损失和提高光生电流密度输出, 与光阳极结合有望提高制氢效率.     

阴离子化合物Y5Si3衬底增强石墨烯氧还原反应的第一性原理研究

本文采用阴离子化合物Y₅Si₃作为衬底,可以和石墨烯组成有效的氧还原催化剂. 反应热计算结果表明,阴离子材料可以促进氧还原反应中的决速步-氧气质子化的过程,从而增强石墨烯的氧还原能力. 电子结构计算表明体系较低的功函数(3.5 eV),良好的导电性以及从衬底到石墨烯的电荷转移都可以促进石墨烯的氧还原催化能力.     

Adsorptions and diffusions of carbon atoms on the surface and in the subsurface of Co （200）： A first-principles density-functional study

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory are used to investigate the adsorptions and diffusions of carbon atoms on the surface and in the subsurface of Co(200). The preferred site for the carbon atom on the surface is the hollow site, and the preferred site in the subsurface is the octahedral site. There is charge transfer from the surface to the adsorbed carbon atom, and for the most favorable adsorbed structure the charge transfer is largest. Moreover, the energy barriers for the diffusions of carbon atoms on the surface and from the surface into the subsurface and then back to the surface are calculated in detail. The results indicate that the energy barrier for the diffusion of carbon atoms on the surface is comparable to that from the subsurface to the surface. The results imply that both the direct surface nucleation and the surface segregation from Co bulk can be observed in the chemical vapor deposition growth of graphene on Co(200)substrate, which can gain a new insight into the growth mechanism of graphene.     

Effect of metal catalyst on the mechanism of hydrogen spillover in three-dimensional covalent-organic frameworks

Hydrogen spillover mechanism of metal-supported covalent-organic frameworks COF-105 is investigated by means of the density functional theory, and the effects of metal catalysts M_4(Pt_4, Pd_4, and Ni_4) on the whole spillover process are systematically analyzed. These three metal catalysts exhibit several similar phenomena:(i) they prefer to deposit on the tetra(_4-dihydroxyborylphenyl) silane(TBPS) cluster with surface-contacted configuration;(ii) only the H atoms at the bridge site can migrate to 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxy triphenylene(HHTP) and TBPS surfaces, and the migration process is an endothermic reaction and not stable;(iii) the introduction of M_4 catalyst can greatly reduce the diffusion energy barrier of H atoms, which makes it easier for the H atoms to diffuse on the substrate surface. Differently, all of the H2 molecules spontaneously dissociate into H atoms onto Pt_4 and Pd_4clusters. However, the adsorbed H2 molecules on Ni_4 cluster show two types of adsorption states: one activated state with stretched H–H bond length of 0.88 ?A via the Kubas interaction and five dissociated states with separated hydrogen atoms. Among all the M_4 catalysts, the orders of the binding energy of M_4 deposited on the substrate and average chemisorption energy per H2 molecule are Pt_4Ni_4Pd_4. On the contrary, the orders of the migration and diffusion barriers of H atoms are Pt_4Ni_4Pd_4, which indicates that Pt_4 is the most promising catalyst for the hydrogen spillover with the lowest migration and diffusion energy barriers. However, the migration of H atoms from Pt_4 toward the substrate is still endothermic. Thus direct migration of H atom from metal catalyst toward the substrate is thermodynamically unfavorable.     

V2CN2负载过渡金属双原子电催化固氮的第一性原理研究

电催化剂固氮能够在温和条件下催化氮气还原制氨.本工作基于第一性原理计算,系统地探究了分散在二维V₂CN₂上过渡金属二聚体(Fe, Mo, Ru)形成的双原子催化剂用于电催化固氮的可行性.双原子的协同作用使氮气得到较好的活化.吉布斯自由能计算表明,在V₂CN₂负载双铁原子(Fe₂@V₂CN₂)体系进行的催化反应过电位最低,仅为0.25 eV.进一步的分子动力学计算表明Fe₂@V₂CN₂具有较好的结构稳定性,并且该体系能很好的抑制HER反应的发生.通过与Mo₂@V₂CN₂,Ru₂@V₂CN₂体系的比较可知,氮气分子的吸附构型以及HER反应的竞争对催化剂的选择影响很大.我们的计算能够为双原子催化剂的设计提供更多的依据.     

氮原子修饰点缺陷石墨烯结构和性质的理论研究

氮原子掺杂石墨烯对基于石墨烯的器件和催化研究具有重要的应用价值.本文采用基于密度泛函理论的计算方法,研究了氮原子修饰的C-Bridge(碳原子吸附在石墨烯碳碳键桥位)、C-Top(碳原子吸附在石墨烯一个碳原子上方)和C7557(碳原子对吸附在石墨烯碳环上方)三种不同点缺陷类型的石墨烯物理性质.讨论不同缺陷石墨烯结构在用氮原子进行修饰前后体系的稳定性、电子结构等;计算得到了缺陷处原子的分波态密度(PDOS)图,分析了原子间的相互作用;模拟出氮原子修饰后缺陷石墨烯恒流模式的STM图像,以便和实验上得出的图像进行对比.计算结果表明,对于所选取的三种不同缺陷,氮原子能够较稳定地吸附在缺陷表面.C-Bridge和C-Top缺陷结构本身具有磁矩,经氮原子修饰后结构磁矩消失.与之相反,C7557缺陷结构本身没有磁矩,经氮原子修饰后缺陷体系带有磁矩.另外,C-Bridge和CTop两种不同缺陷结构石墨烯经过氮原子修饰后,体系几何结构变得完全一样.     

Fe/Co/Ni-N共掺杂石墨烯氧还原反应活性的DFT研究

为了研究Fe/Co/Ni-N掺杂石墨烯的氧还原反应(ORR)活性,比较单金属原子和氮不同的掺杂方式对石墨烯ORR活性的影响.利用Materials Studio软件建立了Fe/Co/Ni-N掺杂石墨烯模型,然后将氧气分子分别吸附在Fe/Co/Ni-N掺杂石墨烯模型表面上.采用CASTEP模块对构建的模型进行结构优化并模拟计算,分析了Fe/Co/Ni-N掺杂石墨烯的吸附能、脱附能和导电性变化规律.基于模拟计算,发现单金属原子掺杂石墨烯时,Fe掺杂石墨烯的ORR活性优于Co和Ni;单金属原子和氮共掺杂石墨烯时,Fe-N掺杂石墨烯的ORR活性高于Co-N和Ni-N掺杂石墨烯,且M-N₄-G形态的ORR活性优于M-N₁-G、M-N₂-G和M-N₃-G.     

Energy of substitution of atoms in the epitaxial graphene-buffer layer-SiC substrate system

The binding energy of atom X (X = B, Al, Ga, In, N, P, As, Sb) substituting for carbon atoms in single-layer graphene, a buffer layer, and on the ( 000[`1] )\left( {000\bar 1} \right) surface of SiC substrate or for a silicon atom on the (0001) surface of SiC substrate has been studied by the Harrison bond-orbital method. In terms of a simple model based on atomic radii, the contribution of the strain energy due to relaxation of an impurity bond has been considered. The expressions have been obtained for the difference between the energies of substitution for a carbon atom in the buffer layer and in single-layer graphene and in the case of substitution for silicon and carbon atoms on the SiC-substrate surface.     

Study of multi-faceted CoS2 introduced graphene aerogel hybrids via chemical approach for an effective electrocatalytic water splitting

The present article reports the synthesis of hybrid structure along with non-precious cobalt-disulfide. A simple hydrothermal method was used to fabricate multi-faceted CoS₂ introduced graphene aerogels. Studies on electrocatalytic activity showed that the presence of CoS₂ facets along with graphene aerogel played a prominent role in the enhancement of proton reduction to hydrogen gas. The CoS₂/graphene aerogel hybrid sample exhibits extremely low overpotential (160 mV vs. RHE), and high current density for HER in acidic solution. The activity enhancement can be attributed to increasing the active electrochemical surface area of graphene aerogel and faceted particles inside the 3D matrix of graphene. Furthermore, the CoS₂/graphene hybrid retained its high activity even after 1000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry scans, signifying longer stability under acidic condition. The results suggest that CoS₂/graphene aerogel hybrids show their potential application to hydrogen evolution reaction.     

Hydrogen on hybrid MoS2/graphene nanostructures

Transition metal dichalcogenides are rising candidates for the replacement of Pt catalysts in water splitting. In this theoretical study we focus on the hydrogen evolution reaction part of this process and on how hydrogen (H) interacts with MoS₂ nanostructures, free‐standing or positioned on a graphene substrate. Density functional theory calculations confirm the stability of such nanostructures and our results for H on several configurations, from 2D infinite monolayers to quasi‐1D MoS₂ ribbons and quasi‐0D MoS₂ flakes, are presented. We calculate the adsorption energy of H atoms on various sites of the MoS₂ nanostructures, notably at Mo and S active edges. Comparing free‐standing and MoS₂/graphene hybrid systems we find that the effect of the support on the adsorption of H on MoS₂ nanostructures is quite significant when the substrate induces strain. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Theoretical investigation of CoTa2O6/graphene heterojunctions for oxygen evolution reaction

Water electrolysis is to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity as the driving force. To obtain low-cost hydrogen in a large scale, it is critical to develop electrocatalysts based on earth abundant elements with a high efficiency. This computational work started with Cobalt on CoTa₂O₆ surface as the active site, CoTa₂O₆/Graphene heterojunctions have been explored as potential oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts through density functional theory (DFT). We demonstrated that the electron transfer (δ) from CoTa₂O₆ to graphene substrate can be utilized to boost the reactivity of Co-site, leading to an OER overpotential as low as 0.30 V when N-doped graphene is employed. Our findings offer novel design of heterojunctions as high performance OER catalysts.     

三维金属有机骨架/石墨烯水凝胶均相降解纤维素为小分子酸的研究

通过在三维还原氧化石墨烯孔径中原位生长ZIF-8纳米粒子,制备了三维金属有机骨架/石墨烯催化剂.这种ZIF-8/rGO纳米复合材料同时具有介孔和微孔,并且拥有高比表面积和大量催化位点,是生物质转化的理想催化剂.将纤维素溶解于氢氧化钠水溶液中,在水热条件下,使用这种催化剂,纤维素可以被充分降解转化.纤维素转化率可以达到100%,其主要产物是甲酸,产率最高可达93.66%.催化剂还可以被回收,重复使用依然具有很好的催化效果.